From the Weight Room to a No-Hitter: The Talons' Red Summer Training Shows On The Field This Fall
Ten softball players. 2026 summer spent at SPI. Then a fall opening weekend that showed exactly what kind of work these ladies did over their break.
You don't see the work at the start of a season. You see what it turns into.
You see it in a pitcher who throws a complete-game no-hitter on opening weekend. In a base runner who steals eight bags in one tournament. In a catcher who goes 13 innings without a single passed ball, then goes 7-for-the-weekend at the plate.
The Talons Red fastpitch team out of Dunedin had a fall season like that. The work behind it happened here at Strength & Performance Institute in Clearwater, over a summer of strength, speed, and agility training. We tested every athlete on June 1. We tested them again on August 31. Here is what evolved.
The Summer Scorecard
Two tests, 20 results, 20 improvements. Every Talons Red athlete jumped higher and farther. Not just the team average: every single player.
Vertical jump: 10 for 10. The team average climbed 1.3 inches. Two athletes added 2.6 inches each.
Broad jump: 10 for 10. The team averaged 7 inches. One athlete went from 86.5 to 105 inches, an 18.5-inch jump in three months.
Faster in the shuttle: 9 for 10. Nobody got slower. The team averaged more than a quarter-second faster, and one athlete cut 0.54 seconds off her time.
Grip strength: 9 for 10. Up 8% as a team. One athlete's grip jumped 47%. In softball, grip controls the bat through contact and gets the ball out of the hand.
Reactive strength (RSI): up 10%. RSI measures how quickly an athlete absorbs force and explodes back off the ground: first step, cutting, getting out of the box.
In total, the team improved on 57 of 70 individual tests. Two athletes improved on all seven.
Then the Fall Season Started
Numbers in a gym are one thing. But here's what those gains look like when the games counted.
*Every player below was featured in a #TalonsRed Player Spotlight on their Facebook page after the fall season's opening weekend.
In the circle...
Kaydence 
Maggie
Kaydence: biggest power gain on the team → a complete-game no-hitter.
Kaydence made the biggest leap in reactive strength on the roster. Her RSI rose 76% (0.92 to 1.63), and she spent about a third less time on the ground on every jump. She also added 2.2 inches to her vertical and 7 pushups. That's lower-body power and drive off the rubber. Opening weekend, she threw 13 innings with 18 strikeouts, including a complete-game no-hitter shutout, and added 4 hits.
Maggie: biggest strength gain on the team → another complete-game no-hitter.
Maggie was one of only two Talons to improve on all seven tests. Her grip strength jumped 47% (53 to 78.2), the team's biggest strength gain, and she added 6.5 inches to her broad jump. Then she went out and threw 9 innings with zero earned runs and 15 strikeouts, including a complete-game no-hitter. She also hit .500. Two pitchers, two no-hitters, one opening weekend.
At the plate...
Olivia P. Lyla Olivia W
Olivia P.: strongest grip on the team → a home run over the deep-center-field fence.
Olivia came into the summer with the strongest grip on the roster, and she left even stronger: up from 81.8 to 88.6, the team's top grip score. She also added 2 inches to her vertical, 4.5 inches to her broad jump, and boosted her reactive strength 19%. That's the hand strength and lower-body power behind a big swing. On opening weekend, she hit a bomb over the deep center-field fence and drove in 7 RBIs, all while locking down first base.
Lyla: +12.8 inches on her broad jump → 5 hits, 2 doubles, and a triple.
Lyla turned in one of the biggest power jumps on the roster: 12.8 more inches on her broad jump (82.5 to 95.3), 2.6 more inches on her vertical, and a 10% gain in reactive strength. She also cut a third of a second off her shuttle. That's extra-base power and speed, and it showed. Lyla collected 5 hits, including 2 doubles and a triple, made outstanding outfield catches, and used her speed to take extra bases and steal.
Olivia W.: stronger and quicker → 7 hits behind a .769 OBP.
Olivia improved her grip strength, broad jump, and pushups, and cut more than a third of a second off her shuttle. She led the team with 7 hits, including 2 doubles, and posted a .769 OBP. She also caught 13 innings without a passed ball.
On the bases and in the field...
Kara Riley Summer Meleah Raya Ashton
Kara: highest vertical on the team → 9 RBIs and 8 stolen bases.
Kara finished the summer with the team's highest vertical jump (23 inches), a 98-inch broad jump, and a 5.08-second shuttle, second-fastest on the roster. On the field, that turned into 4 hits, 9 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases in one weekend, plus game-changing outfield plays.
Riley: biggest speed gain on the team → 9 runs scored from the leadoff spot.
Riley cut 0.54 seconds off her shuttle (5.76 to 5.22), the biggest speed gain on the team. She also spent 15% less time on the ground and boosted her reactive strength 25%. In other words: a quicker first step. From the leadoff spot, she crossed the plate 9 times, held down third base, and showed she can step in anywhere on the field.
Summer: longest jump and fastest shuttle on the team → 5 hits and a 6-4-3 double play.
Summer added 18.5 inches to her broad jump (86.5 to 105), the biggest gain on the team and the only jump over 100 inches. She also finished with the fastest shuttle on the roster (5.06 seconds). That range and burst showed up at shortstop, where she started a 6-4-3 double play, and at the plate, where she collected 5 hits.
Meleah: faster, stronger, more explosive → 4 hits and a key double play.
Meleah improved on six of seven tests. She added 2.6 inches to her vertical and 8.5 inches to her broad jump, raised her reactive strength 14%, and cut half a second off her shuttle. On opening weekend, she brought that energy to the field with 4 hits and a key double play.
Raya: steady in the middle → 5 assists and 4 put-outs at second base.
Raya added 1.5 inches to her vertical and improved her broad jump and reactive strength over the summer. At second base, she was the steady glove in the middle of the diamond, with 5 assists and 4 put-outs, and she came through with timely hits to keep innings alive.
Ashton: new to the team, baseline set.
Ashton joined Talons Red late in the summer and tested with us for the first time on August 31. She's already making an impact: 4 hits, 3 walks, and 9 innings behind the plate on her first weekend. Now she has a starting line. We can't wait to see her next test.
Why These Tests Matter for Softball Players
Softball is a game of short, explosive moments: a swing, a throw, a first step, a slide. Our assessments measure the physical qualities behind those moments.
Vertical and broad jumps measure lower-body power, the same force that drives a pitcher off the mound and a hitter through her swing.
Reactive strength and ground contact time show how quickly an athlete turns landing into launching. That's the jump on a steal or the first two steps toward a ground ball.
The shuttle tests acceleration, deceleration, and change of direction: rounding first, reacting in the outfield, getting to a bunt.
Grip and pushups reflect upper-body and hand strength for bat control, throwing velocity, and holding up through a long tournament weekend.
Important To Note: None of this replaces practice reps. It builds the athlete who takes them.
SPI Is Proud to Stand Behind Talons Softball
SPI is proud to be an official sponsor of Talons Athletics for the 2026 fall season. Talons Softball is built on positive minds, positive support, and positive athletes. That's what we see when their players walk into our facility: athletes who show up for each other and do the work. The culture SPI instills in our student-athletes aligns with the mentality the Talons network of players, coaches, families, and team supporters operates with. As a team sponsor this season, SPI remains deeply committed to empowering the Talons roster and coaching staff.
To the Talons Red players, coaches, and families: you earned every one of these numbers. Stay dedicated & go get the next ones!
Be The Next Student-Athlete Spotlight
Every athlete who joins SPI's Strength, Speed, & Agility classes will get tested first, so progress isn't a guess. It's a number you can see. We track and train strength, power, speed, stability, reaction time, movement quality, and more with real coaching on every rep, in a private facility that isn't open to the public. In addition to team programming, we offer small-group classes for dedicated athletes looking to improve on their own, as well as one-on-one personal training.
Individual Athletes
You don't have to be on a team to start our Strength, Speed & Agility (SS&A) classes. We offer weekly small-group training sessions for any student-athlete serious about improving performance and competing at the next level.
Team Programming
Coaching a travel or high school team in Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, or anywhere in Pinellas County? Ask us about team training. What Talons Red did this summer, your roster can do next.
How To Try a Class...
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Have Questions or Want To Speak With a Coach?
Call or Text Us: (727) 314-1509
Send an Email: train@strengthandperformanceinstitute.com
Visit (by appointment): 2620 State Road 590, Clearwater, FL 33759
Strength & Performance Institute. Empowering Athletes.
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